| DAYS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| MEALS | Breakfast: Avocado Toast w/ Jammy Eggs ——– Lunch: Greek Chopped Salad w/ Chicken ——– Dinner: Broiled Salmon & Cabbage Salad |
Breakfast: Tofu & Vegetable Scramble ——– Lunch: Chicken & Rice Soup + Veggies ——– Dinner: Orange Chicken & Broccoli |
Breakfast: Yogurt w/ Raspberries & Almonds ——– Lunch: Chicken & Rice Soup + Veggies ——– Dinner: Crispy Tempeh w/ Tomato Cream |
Breakfast: Yogurt w/ Raspberries & Almonds ——– Lunch: Chicken & Rice Soup + Veggies ——– Dinner: Chicken & Green Bean Casserole |
Breakfast: Tofu & Vegetable Scramble ——– Lunch: Chicken & Rice Soup + Veggies ——– Dinner: Beef & Black Bean Casserole |
Breakfast: Yogurt w/ Raspberries & Almonds ——– Lunch: Beef & Black Bean Casserole ——– Dinner: Shrimp Fajitas & Pineapple-Avocado Salad |
Breakfast: Avocado Toast w/ Jammy Eggs ——– Lunch: Beef & Black Bean Casserole ——– Dinner: Chicken Caesar Salad |
| DAILY TOTALS | Calories: 1,779 Fat: 115g Protein: 101g Carb: 95g Fiber: 30g Sodium: 1,734mg | Calories: 1,789 Fat: 97g Protein: 105g Carb: 138g Fiber: 29g Sodium: 2,286mg | Calories: 1,798 Fat: 100g Protein: 105g Carb: 135g Fiber: 36g Sodium: 1,461mg | Calories: 1,785 Fat: 97g Protein: 112g Carb: 125g Fiber: 31g Sodium: 1,780mg | Calories: 1,825 Fat: 101g Protein: 110g Carb: 130g Fiber: 30g Sodium: 2,253mg | Calories: 1,805 Fat: 94g Protein: 106g Carb: 149g Fiber: 35g Sodium: 1,525mg | Calories: 1,777 Fat: 110g Protein: 101g Carb: 104g Fiber: 32g Sodium: 1,892mg |
Day 1
Daily Totals: 1,779 calories, 115g fat, 101g protein, 95g carbohydrate, 30g fiber, 1,734mg sodium
Breakfast (409 calories)
Lunch (478 calories)
Dinner (524 calories)
Snacks
- ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds with ½ cup blackberries (237 calories)
Make it 1,500 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 medium orange and omit almonds at P.M. snack.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 medium apple with 1½ Tbsp. almond butter as an evening snack.
Day 2
Daily Totals: 1,789 calories, 97g fat, 105g protein, 138g carbohydrate, 29g fiber, 2,286mg sodium
Breakfast (419 calories)
Lunch (395 calories)
- Serve with 1 cup sliced veggies, such as bell peppers, cucumbers, or carrots
- 3 Tbsp. hummus
Dinner (546 calories)
Snacks
- 1 serving Tzatziki Cucumber Slices (130 calories)
- ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds with ½ cup blackberries (237 calories)
- 1 medium orange (62 calories)
Make it 1,500 calories: Omit almonds at P.M. snack and omit evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 medium peach to breakfast and add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted shelled pistachios to evening snack.
Day 3
Daily Totals: 1,798 calories, 100g fat, 105g protein, 135g carbohydrate, 36g fiber, 1,461mg sodium
Breakfast (345 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain strained Greek-style yogurt
- Serve with ½ cup raspberries
- 1 serving No-Added-Sugar Chia Seed Jam
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Lunch (395 calories)
Dinner (421 calories)
Snacks
- 1 medium apple with 2 Tbsp. almond butter (291 calories)
Make it 1,500 calories: Reduce to 1 Tbsp. sliced almonds at breakfast and omit almond butter at A.M. snack.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds as an evening snack.
Day 4
Daily Totals: 1,785 calories, 97g fat, 112g protein, 125g carbohydrate, 31g fiber, 1,780mg sodium
Breakfast (345 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain strained Greek-style yogurt
- Serve with ½ cup raspberries
- 1 serving No-Added-Sugar Chia Seed Jam
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Lunch (395 calories)
Dinner (597 calories)
Snacks
- 1 serving Tzatziki Cucumber Slices (130 calories)
- ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds with ½ cup blackberries (237 calories)
- ½ cup sliced strawberries with ½ cup low-fat plain kefir (82 calories)
Day 5
Daily Totals: 1,825 calories, 101g fat, 110g protein, 130g carbohydrate, 30g fiber, 2,253mg sodium
Breakfast (419 calories)
Lunch (395 calories)
Dinner (458 calories)
Snacks
- ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted shelled pistachios (176 calories)
- 1 serving Cottage Cheese-Berry Bowl (170 calories)
- ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds (206 calories)
Make it 1,500 calories: Change A.M. snack to 1 medium orange and omit evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add 1 medium apple to breakfast and 1 medium orange to evening snack.
Day 6
Daily Totals: 1,805 calories, 94g fat, 106g protein, 149g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 1,525mg sodium
Breakfast (345 calories)
- 1 cup low-fat plain strained Greek-style yogurt
- Serve with ½ cup raspberries
- 1 serving No-Added-Sugar Chia Seed Jam
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Lunch (334 calories)
Dinner (535 calories)
Snacks
Make it 1,500 calories: Omit almond butter at A.M. snack and omit evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to evening snack.
Day 7
Daily Totals: 1,777 calories, 110g fat, 101g protein, 104g carbohydrate, 32g fiber, 1,892mg sodium
Breakfast (409 calories)
Lunch (334 calories)
Dinner (622 calories)
Snacks
Make it 1,500 calories: Change P.M. snack to 1 clementine and omit evening snack.
Make it 2,000 calories: Add ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted almonds to evening snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Is it OK to mix and match meals if there is one I do not like?Yes! This meal plan is meant to serve as inspiration. It doesn’t need to be followed exactly to reap the benefits. When choosing recipes, we made sure to check the calories, fiber, protein and sodium to align with the parameters of this plan and be within our sodium limits. If you’re making a recipe swap, it may be helpful to choose a recipe with similar calories, fiber, protein and sodium levels. For more inspiration, check out these delicious high-protein recipes for better blood sugar.
-
Can I eat the same breakfast or lunch every day?Definitely, it’s fine to eat the same breakfast or lunch every day. The breakfasts range from 345 to 419 calories while the lunches span 334 to 478 calories. These ranges are fairly close, though if you’re closely monitoring your calories or other nutrients, like protein, you may want to adjust a snack or two.
-
Why is there not a modification for 1,200 calories?We no longer provide modifications for 1,200-calorie days in our meal plans. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that limiting calories to 1,200 per day is too low for most people to meet their nutritional needs, plus it’s unsustainable for long-term health and well-being.
-
What are the health impacts of high blood sugar levels?If left untreated, continuously elevated blood sugars can cause some serious harm. High blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels, which can reduce kidney function, cause vision loss, cause heart disease and negatively impact nearly every function in the body.
Does a High-Protein, High-Fiber Diet Improve Blood Sugar?
If improving blood sugars is your goal, research indicates that eating more protein may help. Protein is a nutrient with many health benefits, including supporting healthy blood sugar by slowing down digestion to mitigate blood sugar spikes. Eating a high-protein diet and reducing total carbohydrate can help reduce the risk, but it’s just one piece of this important puzzle. But, there’s no need to completely avoid carbs. Instead, opt to include high-fiber carbohydrates, like legumes, fruit and whole grains, while limiting refined grains and added sugars. The fiber in carbohydrates isn’t digested, which means it slows down digestion and, like protein, helps reduce blood sugar spikes. Plus, fiber has many health benefits that you would miss out on if carbs were reduced drastically. A whole-health approach that looks at lifestyle habits, physical activity, nutrition, waist circumference and even sleep habits can influence the onset of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
How We Create Meal Plans
Registered dietitians thoughtfully create EatingWell’s meal plans to be easy-to-follow and delicious. Each meal plan meets specific parameters depending on the health condition and/or lifestyle goal it is targeting and is analyzed for accuracy using the nutrition database, ESHA Food Processor. As nutritional needs differ from person to person, we encourage you to use these plans as inspiration and adjust as you see fit.